MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota — Federal immigration agents infiltrated meetings of the Sunrise Movement and other progressive organizations for months during Minnesota’s immigration protests, even as internal reports acknowledged that some of the groups explicitly emphasized nonviolence.
Court records released Thursday show undercover Homeland Security Investigations agents attended Sunrise trainings, entered encrypted Signal chats and monitored demonstrations as part of investigations called “Operation Puppet Master” and “Project Whipple Shield.” Federal agents also obtained years of financial records involving Sunrise and several labor unions.
One particularly striking episode occurred during a Jan. 31 Sunrise training at a Minneapolis library. An undercover agent reported that organizers stressed “peaceful” protest and taught de-escalation techniques. According to a defense filing, the same agent later approached an organizer and offered to construct items that could assist more confrontational “direct-action” protests.
Defense attorney Kevin Riach argues that episode is evidence agents sometimes went beyond observation and attempted to steer activists toward potentially criminal conduct. That is an allegation by the defense, not a judicial finding.
The broader surveillance extended well beyond the 15 activists later indicted for allegedly obstructing federal officers. Government records identified 18 organizations, including the AFL-CIO, Communications Workers of America and Sunrise Movement, although those organizations themselves have not been charged with crimes.
DHS says Homeland Security Investigations operates only when there is lawful cause and declined to discuss ongoing investigative techniques.
Civil-liberties groups across the political spectrum have criticized the operation, warning that surveillance of lawful meetings and advocacy could discourage Americans from exercising First Amendment rights even when no criminal activity is involved.
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